Developing machine



Nv. 24, 1936. A. L. v. c. DEBRI'E 2,061,552

DEVELOPING MACHINE Filed March 20, 193.5 5 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 24, 1936.y A. L. v. c. DBRIE f 2,061,552'

DEVELOPING MACHINE I Y 'A Filed March 2o, 1935 y5` sheets-sheet 2 Nov. 24, "1936.

DEVELOPING MACHINE Filed Maucshv 20, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 .A. v. c. DEBRIE l 2,061,552

` j am. Mw

NW' 24 1936' A. |..\v.` c. DBRIE .i 2,061,552

DEVELOPING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 20, 1955 Nov. 24, 1936.

Figi f A. L. V. C. DEBRIE DEVELOPING MACHINE Filed MarQh 20, 1935 5 Sl'leecS--Sheel 5 Patented Nov. V24, 193e PATENT oFFlcE DEVELOPING vMACBINE Andr Lon Victor Clment Debrie, Paris,

France y Application Mai-chill), 1935, Serial No. 12,102 Ir France March 26, 1934 18 Claims.

' My invention has for, its object an apparatus for developing kinematographic films which is of particularly simple design, easy mounting and high efliciency. It allows theomission of any differentiation between the successive vats composing it whereby the apparatus may be'formed of a series of independent interchangeable vats provided each with a loading and cleaning-preferably one-part door,- said vats being indifferently adapted for use for deve1oping,.washing,

fixing,l drying orfor containing the stoppagecompensating means provided in case the film cannot progress any more at one end of its path.

` The very simple'lm driving means carried`by each vat is adapted for instantaneous connection with the corresponding means in' the adjacent vat whereby it is possible to modify at will and without any mechanical complication, the number of vats and their utilization. At the same time I do away with alltoothed driving drums or sprocket Wheels which'l replace to advantage by f smooth drums of sufcient diameter to act through mere adherence.

The apparatus'according to my invention may include numerous further novel and advantageous arrangements which will be described hereinafter with greater detail: such arrangements comprise inter alia a provision Aforremoving in the manner of the usual provisions the drawbacks resulting from the stoppage of the` progress of the film at one end of the apparatus,

saidprovision being particularly intended for' making up for the effects of the changing of the take-up reel by allowing at the moment consid- Fig. 1,6 is a view at a larger scale of the ydoor of the vat,

Fig.- '7 is a lateral, view `olf a modified-vat seen sideways, y

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional View of the vlatter vat,

the section being made through a plane perpendicular to the plane of Fig. 7,

Fig. 9 vis a diagrammatical figure illustratln the manner of blowing air into the vat for removing the Water after each treatment,

Fig. 10 shows the locking means forthe door and Fig. 11 the manner of securing the cover of the vat of Figs. '7 and 8. A

The apparatus the whole of whichlis shown in Fig. l is constituted by a plurality of similar narrow vats preferably of moulded material arranged .with the longest sides of two adjacent vats in ,contact The vat shown at 3 contains the rst 10 film provision, those at 8, 3', 8" contain the developer, those at 28 the water, those at 29, 29", 29" the fixing liquid, those at 30, 30', 30" serve forwashing, the vat at 33 contains the second film provision` and lthe vats 38, 38. 15

38" serve f or drying, these latter replacing theusual kiln, Obviously the number and use of the different vats may vary at will according to the 'conditions of operation.` The vats are closed by a cover 45 composed of interchangeable 20 elements. The film, advancing at variablespeed through the successive vats in which the path- -assigned to it is submitted to no modication except in the vats containing the nlm provision,

winds-oil the feed reel Ifrictionally mounted on 25,

its axis 2 and enters the nlm-provision vat 3 and thence it passes into the following vats. All the vats have two upper horizontal transverse axes I I, II rotatably carried through-one or both ends carry smooth flanged drums |9, I9 mounted 40 loose on said axes and serving only for unwinding purposes. The diameter of these drums may thus besmaller than that of the upper drums, whereby the nlm portions passing from an upper drum to a lower drum are constrained to lie obliquely' with reference to the moving liquid. The number of drums on a lower axis is smaller by one with reference to the number of correspondingdrums I4, I4' keyed through` the key I3 to an upper axis II or Il. These upper axes are rotatably mounted in the journals I2, I2 secured in the wall of the vat and their rotationv which provides that of the drums I4, I4 is ensured by the pinion's I5 keyed to the-different upper axes :im

on the outside of the vat, preferably on the side carrying the sleeves I8 carrying the lower axes.

These pinions I5 are driven by the worms I6 on the stub shaft `2I carried in the example shown on the outside of the vat considered in parallelism with the axis of the vat directed longitudinally of the apparatus. This stub shaft carries at each end a driving plate 22 or 22' adapted to engage when the adjacent vat is in place, the corresponding plate 22 or 22 of the latter, a driving joint or packing 23 being provided between the two plates. A casing 24 contains these different driving parts I5, I6, 2I, 22, 22', 23 outside lthe vat and has a cylindrical or the like extension 25 at one end and at the other a recess 26 adapted to house the extension 25 of the'casing on the adjacent vat. The casing is closed sideways by a door 21. It is aparent that such successive and automatic connections between the adjacent vats through parts such as 25-23 on one hand and 22, 22 on the other pro-vides both the assembly of the vats and the connection and centering of the different stub shafts I6, the rotation of which provides the general rotation of the driving drums Each vat carries also on the side opposite the casing 24 two pulleys 3,I, 3|' mounted on squares 32 above the upper edge of the vat underneath the cover thereof, said pulleys serving as a guide for the film between the vat considered `and the adjacent vat. nearest the pulley.

In the small side of each vat opposite the cas-v ing 24 there is also provided in front of the free ends of the lower axes an opening closed by a door 9, the opening of which allows the cleaning of the vat and the mounting of the film on the lower drums. Watertightness is obtained advantageously by means of a solid rubber packing or a small diameter air-chamber I0 inserted at the grooved periphery of the two superposed parts 9, 9" forming the door. Once thelatter is in place, it is sufiicientv to fasten for instance by bolting, the assembly of parts 9', 9" sov as to make the solid rubber or air chamber I0 act as a watertight packing between the door andthe edge of the opening receiving it (Fig. 6).

The winding of the film over the different drums forms a large number of loops which increase considerably the path of the film and consequently the efficiency of the apparatus. This winding is performed as follows: after opening ,the doors 9 for allowing the passage of the loops over the free ends of the lower axes, I cause the film coming from the pulley 3| to pass over the upper drum I4 on the adjacent upper axis which is nearest the corresponding small'side of the vat. The film is then passed round the lower drum I9 which is almost directly underneath this rst drum, and then over the upper drum I4 adjacent said first drum. It is then passed downwards round the lower drum I9 adjacent to the first lower drum and so on until the film has passed over all the higher and lower drums on the axes to one side of the vat. From thelast upper drum I 4, the film is passed over the last upper drum I4 of the upper axis 'I1' from which it passes downward round the underlying last drum I9' of the lower axis I1' and so on .until it reaches the first upper drum III'4 facing the upper drum I4 over which the windingin the vat has begun, the film passing then-after out ofthe. vat I on to theI pulley 3|. Obviously, there exist disconnecting me ms allowing, through an action on the key I3 by means of a nut, flywheel or the like, Ithe upper drums to be disconnected with reference to their shaft or axis during the abovedescribed operation.

The admission of the bath into each vat is effected through a pump forcing the liquid into the lower part A of the vat through a series of tubes 20', 20" arranged in the corners of the vat; these tubes are provided with a large number of perfor'ations through which the liquid escapes, which ensures the proper commingling of the bath and regulates its activity; the outlet of the liquid is at B at the upper part of the bath. Only the vats 3 and 33 containing a provision of film length differ from the others inasmuch as the lower stationary axes I1, I1 are replaced by an equivalent system of suspended drums forming a pulley block 6 allowing a modification in the total length of the film in the apparatus at the moment of a stoppage at the corresponding end of the apparatus. In the case of the entrance film provision 3, the weight of the pulley block with its ttings is greater than the braking force due to the friction of the feed drum I on its spindle. Consequently during normal operation this block 6 remains during operation at the lower part of the vat. When the feed reel is stopped during the time required for the insertion of a fresh film length and its connection with the length still under development, thepulley block 6 rises up to about the middle of the height of the vat under the action of 4the traction exerted by the film ahead which continues advancing through the apparatus, which compensates thus the action of the stoppage of the film at the entrance of the apparatus. As soon as the feed reel is again operative, the pulley block 6 sinks under the action of its Weight so as to restore the original length of the film provision and the normal tension of the film entering the apparatus.

On the contrary the provision 33 disposed ahead of the drying vats becomes operative when the part of the film wound over the take-up reel 31 frictionally mounted on its axis 36 is removed. During the replacement of a full reel by an empty one and the starting of operation with the latter, there is a stoppage at the exit from the apparatus and the film contained in the drying vat ceases progressing, the drums in these latter vats being all mounted loose on their spindles as described hereinafter. advancing in the vats preceding the provision vat 33. Consequently the pulley block 35 in the provision vat 33 the weight of which is smaller than the force of traction due to the normal progression of the film and which, in contradistinction with the pulley block for the usual On the contrary the film continues film provision at the entrance, remains normally j vats 38, 38', 38" used for drying. A partition 39 divides each of these vats into two compartments and leaves at its lower end a free space 40 for the passage of the drying air and of the film.v

This ensures a restriction for the air passage in front of the film which increases substantially the efficiency of the drying system. `In contradistinction with the developing, washing and nxing vats, the upperdrurris in the case considered where the outlet provision vat 33 is disposed in front of the drying vats, are not keyed to their spindles Il, Il'. In this case it is possible to arrange the large diameter drums no longer exclusively on the upper spindle but in alternation for instance on the upper spindles Il and on the lower spindlesv I1' while the small diameter drums are set over thespindles Il' and I1 of the same vat. Under such conditions it is possible to make the film pass from the entrance spindles onto the outlet spindles after passing under the partition 39, the lmstrips remaining always, by reason of the arrangement of the rollers, oblique with reference to the direction of the air threads entering through against the direction of l`progress of the lm and passing out through 43.

The elementarycovers 43 corresponding to the drying vats form incurved sheaths 44 covering the upper part of two adjacent half vats of two successive drying vats, a special part being oi' course used for covering the iirst half-vat in the drying section. I may also provide a speedometer giving out in the usual manner the time of development, said speedometer being controlled by the general control motor.

In the modication of Figs. 7 and 8 the vat 5I, which is of an acid-proof material, has on one of its small sides, i. e. side which does not come into contact with the adjacent vat, a loading aperture 52' extending in the case shown throughout the area of the side considered. A door 53 which is made of the same material as the vat itself closes 1 thedoor side.

Acarries the edge of the cover 55 also of the same material as the vat. The, four roller spindles XX-YY' are carried by the vat side opposed to A channel 56 serving for the distribution -of' compressed air is provided at the upper part-of the small side of the vat opposed to the door and to the stay 54. This distributor .channel feeds nozzles such as those shown apart in Fig. 9 at 5t, 56 which open in front of the,A

filrn elements passing out of the vat on the door side wherebythe entrained liquid drops are removed by the blast of air from the lm passing out of a developing, fixing or washing bath inthe vat. 'I'he blowing on the illm is effected from the y middle towards its edges as illustrated in Fig. 9

`and as disclosed in Phillipes U. S. specification 1,748,188.

The apertures 51 and 58 provided in the same side as the distributor channel 56 serve for the admission and removal of the developing, fixing and .washing liquids in the vats, said liquids being forced through 51 into the vertical aspersion tubes 59', 58" arranged inside Vthe vat on the side opposed to the door. The aspersion of these liquids is effected between the opposite sides of the supporting surfaces of the lrn loops passing from the lower rollers of one of the spindles Y or Y? on to the upper rollers of the corresponding spindles X or X'. I obtain thus a perfect and speedy stirring of the liquids which ensures' a perfect regularity of development or fixation and a better washi .for a smaller consumption of water. The d or 53 is carried at its upper and lower ends through the alined pivots 59, 59 (Figs-7. 10)V slidingly held in horizontally elongated holes such as' 60 provided in a small plate 6I secured'to a.

projection 62 on the vat yielding material is fitted round the periphery ofA 5|.. A packing 63of the door.. The bolting of the door againstthe aperture 52'which also ensures the desired crushing of the packing, is performed along two vertical edges of the door through the agency of a series of elements 65 or 66 distributed over the height of the door in a manner such as will absorb in a uniform mannerv the pressure of the inner liquid. The lower elements 65 or 66 are therefore closer to one another than the upper elements and consequently the packing 63 is applied againsty the body of the vat through fastening means compensating at all points the variable pressure of the liquid.l The elements 65 or 66 comprise primarily a strap such a-s 65 secured to the edge of the vat facing the door and engaging the hooks 64, 64" (Fig. 10) rigidly secured to the door. The fastening of thse hooks in the strap 65 is effected through the eccentrics 61 which are rotatable round a common rod 68 which may end With the above -mentioned pivots 5 9, 59'.v 'I'he common control of the eccentrics on one side of the door is eifectedby levers 69 (or 10 on the opposite side of the door) secured through pins to the eccentrics 61 and their control rod 68 (or 1| for the opposite side of the door). Thus the motion givenvto the levers 69 is transmitted to the eccenters 61 for providing the secure application of the packing 63. The unbolting is obf tained through the reverse displacement of the levers which disengage the corresponding straps lI5 from their hooks 64, 64. The uniform crushing of the packing'53 toeither side of the door is rendered possible bythe transversal shifting of the hingeline 59, 59 allowed by the above described play of the pivots in the elongated holes 60.

In order to prevent any untimely operation of thelevers 69 and 10, the opposite levers lying at the same lever are secured together when desired in the following manner; on one or more levers 69-thereis secured through a pin a sleeve 12 provided with a male threaded part 13 while on the corresponding lever 10 there is mounted loose a sleeve 14 the longitudinal path of which is bounded by the stop rings 15, 16' secured through pins to the lever 10. 'This sleeve 14 is provided With'a female threaded part adapted to be screwed VVover thethreaded male part of the sleeve 12 whereby the whole arrangement of levers 69,10 may belocked and consequently the door completely bolted.

As the vats are interchangeable, they must be light-tight when used in the developing section and vthey must retain the air pressure required in the drying section. They may be provided to this end at their upper end with a cover 15 hinged at 11 and bearing on the upper edge of the vat against which it crushes the packings 18 and 19. To-the mean part of the cover, considered 'in the transverse direction of Fig. 7, there is secured an air deector or membrane recessed so as to afford means for the passage of the transverse shaft 8| controlling the driving spindles XX' of the nlm. It should be noted thatthis control,

originally provided on the outside of the vat is This belt, of rubber for instance, has an inner layer 83 which is .less hard than the outer layer 84. This belt is hooked at each end over the small sides of each of the corresponding vats by means of a loop formed by the outer layer of the belt and through which a spindle y86 is inserted. This spindle is held by two stops carried by the corresponding side of each of the adjacent vats respectively. In order to further the securing of the belt, a tongue 88 is secured to the outer layer 83. The tractional stress exerted for applying said layer 83, at the moment of. hooking the belt under its stops has for its result the crushing of the layer 84 which forms a joint by reason of its higher elasticity.

ranged in contact with one another through their long sides and provided each on one of its small sides with a loading and cleaning aperture, a door for fluidtightly closing the aperture in each vat 4and horizontal spindles for driving and winding the lms through each vat.

2. A iilm developing machine comprising a series of interchangeable vats adapted to be arranged in contact with one another through their r long sides and provided each on `one of its small sides with a loading and cleaning aperture, a door for iiuidtightly closing the aperture in each vat, two pairs of horizontal spindles secured respectively to the top and bottom of each vat and lying parallel to its long sides, rollers carried by said spindles for driving and winding the films through the vat and control means for the driving rollers.

3. \A film developing machine comprising a series of interchangeable vats adapted to be arranged in contact with one another through their long sides and providedl each on one of its small sides with a loading and cleaning aperture, a door for iluid tightly closing the aperture in each vat, two pairs of horizontal spindles secured respectively to the topand bottom of each vat and lying parallel to its long sides, rollers carried vby said spindles for driving and winding the film through the vat and control means for the driving rollers adapted to engage in', an immediate manner with the control means of the adjacent vats.

4. In a machine as claimed in claim 1, the arrangement of frictionally acting nlm-feeding and film take-up reels at either end of the machine.

5. A lm developing machine comprising a series of interchangeable vats adapted to be arranged in contact with .one another through their long sides and provided each on one of its,small sides with a loading and cleaning aperture, a door for fiuidtightly closing the aperture in each vat,

1 two Apairs of horizontal spindles secured respectively to the top andbotipgm eifach vat and lying parallel to its long sides, rolis carried by said spindles for driving and svindln'gthe films through the vat and control means for the driving rollers including a horizontaishaft rotatably carried in parallelism with a small side of the vat, worms engaged by same carried by the upper horizontal spindles and' driving plates on the horizontal shaft ries of interchangeable vats adapted to be arranged in contact with one another through their long sides and provided each on one of its small sides with a loading and cleaning aperture, a. door for fiuidtightly closing the aperture in each vat, two pairs of horizontal spindles secured respectively to the top and bottom of each vat and lying parallel to its long sides, rollers carried by said spindles for driving and winding the film through the vat, control means for the driving rollers adapted to engage in an immediate manner with the control means of the adjacent vats, and a pulley block in the rst vat used over which block a film length is adapted to be wound and the weight of which is slightly greater than the frictional eiort produced by the feed' reel.

7. A film developing machine comprising a selries of interchangeable vats adapted to be arranged in contact with one another through their long sides and provided each on one of its small sides with a loading and cleaning aperture, a door for luidtightly closing the aperture in each vat, two pairs of horizontal spindles secured respectively to the top and bottom of each vat and lying parallel to its long sides, rollers carried by said spindles for driving and winding the lm through the vat, control means for the driving rollers adapted to engage in an immediate manner with the control means of the adjacent vats, and a pulley block provided in one of the vats following those used for developing, washing and xing over which block a length of film is wound for carrying said block the weight of which is slightly less than the f rictional stress exerted by the take-up reel.

8. A film developing machine comprising a series of interchangeable vats adapted to be arranged in contact with one another through their long sides and provided each on one of its small sides with a loading and cleaning aperture, a door for iiuidtightly closing the aperture in each vat, two pairs of horizontal spindles secured respec-4 tively to the top and bottom of each vat and lying parallel to its long sides, the upper spindles being rotatable and the lower stationary spindles terminating short of the door, rollers keyed to the upper axes, rollersmounted loosely on the lower axes and means for driving the upper axes.

9. In a machine as claimed in claim 1 two superposed plates forming the door with a groove at their common periphery, a yielding packing in said groove engaging they edge of the vat aperture and means for fastening the` two plates together.

10. A-lm developing machine comprising a series of interchangeable vats adapted to be arranged in contact with one another through their long sides and provided each onA one of its small sides with a loading and cleaning aperture, a door for iuidtightly closing the aperture in each vat, two pairs of horizontal spindles secured respectively to the top and bottom of each vat and lying parallel to its long sides, rollers carried by said spindles for driving and winding the films through the vat, control means for the driving rollers including a horizontal shaft rotatably carried in parallelism with a small sideof the vat, worms engaged by same carried by the upper horizontalfspindles and driving plates on the horizontal shaft to operatively engage in an immediate manner the corresponding plate of the adjacent vat and interengaging casings on the outside of the diierent vats containing the said control means.

11. In a machine as claimed in claim 1.a pulley carried by each vat above its upper edge at each side thereof for unwinding the iilm asiit enters and passes out of the vat.

12. In a machine as claimed in claim 1 perfo rated tubes in the angles of the vats through which the baths may be forced into the vats. a machine as claimed in claim 1, a horizontal channel provided along one upper edge of each vat, and nozzles communicating therewith adapted to blow air from the middle towards the' edge of the films'passing out of the vat.

14. A lm developing machine comprising a series of interchangeable vats adapted to be arranged ln contact with one another through their4 long sides and provided each on one of its small sides with a loading and cleaning aperture, a door for fiuidtightly closing the aperture in each vat,J two pairs of horizontal spindles securedV respectively to the top and bottom of each vat and lying parallel 'to itsv long sides, rollers carried by lsaid spindles for driving and winding the lms through the vat, control' means for the driving rollers and means for forcing liquid under pressure between the opposed sides of the lm loops formed between corresponding upper and lower rollers.

15. A' film developing' machine comprising a series of interchangeable vats adapted to be arranged in contact with one another through their long sides and provided each on one of its small sides with a loading and cleaning aperture, a door for :duid tightly closing the aperture in cach vat, two pairs of horizontal spindles secured respectively to the topand bottom of each vat and lying parallel te its long sides, rollers carried by said spindles for driving and winding the films through the vat and control means for the driv-Y ing rollers including a horizontal shaft "rotatably carried in parallelism with a small side of the vat and arranged inside said vat, worms engaged bysame carried by the upper horizontal spindles and driving plates on the. horizontal shaft toengage of one of its small sides in an immediate manner the corresponding plate of the adjacent vat.

16. A film developing machine .comprising a series of interchangeable vats adapted to be arranged in contact'with one another Athrough their long sides and provided each throughout the area h a loading and cleaning aperture, a stay abov the aperture closing the upper end of the aperture, a door for uida tightly closing the aperture in each vat, a-packing between the door and the edge of the opening, horizontal gmdeways for the door on the vat. a series of locking means arranged along both vertical edges of the door adapted to compress said packing when operativ means for controlling the locking means on both sides of the door and horizontal axes for winding the lms through each vat.

.17. A nlm developing machine comprising a series of interchangeable vats adapted to beA arv ranged in contact with one another through their' long sides and provided each throughout the area of one of its small sides with a loading'and cleaning aperture, a stayabove the aperture closing the upper end' of the aperture, a door for-fluidtightly closing the aperture in each vat, a packing between the door and the edge of the opening,

guid'eways for the door on the vat, a series of locking means arranged along both vertical edges of the door adapted to compress said packing when operative, a' vertical shaft on either side of the door, eccentrically mounted levers rigid therewith and controlling the corresponding locking means, means for bolting together an' eccentrlclever on one'slde of the door with an eccen-- tric lever on the other.

18. In a machine as claimed in claim 1,` coJvers adapted to close each vat and belts adapted to bev secured to two adjacent vats for forcing the adja cent half covers on the two adjacent vats to bear in an airtight manner thereom ANDR LON vieron cLMENT pasara. 

